Chapter 597: Shattered

Zhang Yingchang, Cao Bianjiao, and He Renlong were still basking in the excitement of their allies' victory.

Then a soldier suddenly reported that Yang Yanchang had bolted out of Yaozhou City and, without a word, ordered his troops to strike camp and flee south — the three of them stared at each other in disbelief.

Even after Yang Yanchang's flight was discovered, the three generals still had no idea that Ren Quan'er had already run. Cao Bianjiao even blurted out, "Quick, send General Ren to chase Yang Yanchang!"

Because Ren Quan'er moving his camp to the south of the city had been decided after discussion with them.

He had first consulted Cao Bianjiao, saying that among this five-camp coalition, everyone else was muddle-headed — only the two of them were clear-minded. "You station west of the city, I'll station south; if anything happens, we can still look out for each other."

Young Cao already felt a kinship of spirit with General Ren, and on top of that, the man was a blazing favorite before the Five-Province Supreme Commander Chen Qiyu. Considering that this deployment genuinely benefited military operations, he agreed on the spot.

And so Ren Quan'er struck camp and headed south.

But now that Yang Yanchang was also striking camp and heading south, it raised suspicions.

He Renlong frowned. "Could the two of them... be in league with the bandits?"

Zhang Yingchang and Cao Bianjiao spoke in unison: "Impossible!"

Zhang Yingchang said with absolute certainty, "That Ren Quan'er and Yang Yanchang have always been at odds — how could the two of them end up on the same side?"

Back when they were garrisoned in Longxi, Zhang Yingchang had already thought: if one day Yang Yanchang dropped dead from poison or was assassinated, Ren Quan'er would definitely be the one behind it.

And the reverse was just as true — if Ren Quan'er were ever hacked to death or shot dead by his own gunners on the battlefield, Yang Yanchang would certainly have given the order.

As for Cao Bianjiao, his tone was less absolute. He had merely overheard He Renlong muttering to himself, and in his mind surfaced that face of Ren Quan'er, brimming with righteous hatred of evil.

A man as upright as General Ren — how could he possibly defect to the bandits?

He Renlong, on the other hand, recalled how every time the Yan'an Battalion plundered his goods, Ren Quan'er would come and slip He Yong a little red envelope, asking He Yong to put in a good word for him.

This plunged He Renlong into deep confusion — had his memory gone wrong?

Or did he simply have no eye for judging people at all?

He Renlong had indeed been doubting his own judgment for a long time.

After all, releasing famine troops had produced a ruthless character like Liu Chengzong — no matter who it happened to, they'd fall into profound self-doubt.

The moment these words left his mouth, that face of General Ren Quan'er, brimming with righteous hatred of evil, surfaced in his mind. He immediately shook his head. "Could it be that Yang Yanchang fled, and General Ren is pursuing him?"

The three commanders fell silent.

The one who broke the heavy silence was a soldier sent from inside the city by Bee-Tail Needle. He entered the camp without any obstruction and asked at the command tent, "Generals, my commander inquires: why have two battalions marched south, and what of the matter of turning our coats?"

"Should you come under attack, our troops can also cover your flank."

Cao Bianjiao's eyes nearly rolled back into his skull — let you cover our flank? Nothing would go wrong until you got involved, then everything would.

Zhang Yingchang once again spouted the same old spiel, placating Bee-Tail Needle's messenger and sending him back. He looked toward Yaozhou City and let out a sigh, then exchanged glances with Cao Bianjiao and He Renlong. "This city... what do we do about it?"

Even if their reactions were slow, they had now realized that those two battalions under Yang Yanchang and Ren Quan'er had run into serious trouble.

At a moment like this, neither Cao Bianjiao nor He Renlong was of any use.

Cao Bianjiao was a steadfast Mobile Corps Commander, and He Renlong an experienced Assistant Regional Commander — both were highly capable on the battlefield, but they could barely manage their own units, let alone help the overall situation.

Zhang Yingchang threw out this question precisely to legitimately seize command of the northern-route Ming army.

Truth be told, he didn't want command — because command meant bearing responsibility.

But his private guess about Liu Chengzong's current position, and the terror of Xi'an falling, outweighed the pressure of taking responsibility.

His first decision was to tell He Renlong and Cao Bianjiao: "Our three battalions must not pursue those two battalions southward."

With that, he spread out a map in the command tent, centered on Qianzhou southwest of Yaozhou, and drew a line from west to east. Gripping his scabbard, he pointed at the area south of this line and fell into silent thought for a moment.

Zhang Yingchang had guessed Liu Chengzong's approximate location.

The reason lay with Zu Kuan. After crossing the Wei River, Zu Kuan had split his forces to pillage east and west, which caused Liu Chengzong, in his search for the Guanning Army, to briefly pull in his reconnaissance riders and cast them toward the southwest.

North of Qianzhou, there was almost no sign of the Marshal's Army's reconnaissance riders operating.

Only scattered Mongol cavalry watered their horses and grazed in the desolate countryside — though those Tatar soldiers were skittish; a single rider could chase off a whole squad of them.

But even if chased off, they'd just move somewhere else to graze.

Under the simultaneous onslaught of drought and locust plague, the Guanzhong region lay bleak and ruined, and the land was vast — for the Tatar soldiers, there was nowhere they couldn't graze.

It certainly wasn't worth risking their lives over a few mouthfuls of grass. If the Ming army fancied the grass here, they'd simply go graze somewhere else.

So even though Qianzhou was under siege by Zhang Xianzhong, Zhang Yingchang could be certain Liu Chengzong was not there.

Not at Qianzhou, then he must be to the south.

Because ever since the five battalions had led their troops south, contact with Xi'an Prefecture had been severed.

By his reckoning, the courier he'd sent to Xi'an to seek Lian Guoshi's advice on Zhang Zhen's defection should have arrived long ago, and the reply should have been delivered this morning.

But that message was like a stone dropped into the sea — not a single response came back.

Based on this intelligence, Zhang Yingchang drew a large circle on the map encompassing Xi'an Prefecture's seat, and the counties of Hu and Zhouzhi north and south of the Wei River, and judged: "The bandit Liu is right here."

He Renlong stared wide-eyed at the map, thinking to himself: Old Master Zhang, that circle of yours just covered two-thirds of the entire map in one go.

What's the difference between that and me farting at the map and saying: The bandit Liu is on this map!

Any fool knows that!

For He Renlong and Cao Bianjiao, figuring out Liu Chengzong's location wasn't hard.

The hard part was analyzing his next move.

This was exactly what Zhang Yingchang wanted to address. His hand traced across the map: "Once Yang's and Ren's two battalions head south, they'll soon run into the bandit Liu. If our three battalions follow behind and run into disaster, I fear we won't be able to turn our horses around and retreat."

"Right now, the bandit Liu's army has four possible directions: besiege Xi'an Prefecture, strike the southern-route government troops, engage the western-route government troops, or march north to hit us."

Zhang Yingchang finished and asked the two generals, "What do you two think he'll do?"

"Strike the southern-route government troops."

Cao Bianjiao spoke with conviction, clasping his fists to the other two. "It all makes sense now. If either Ren or Yang has a problem, it explains Zhang Zhen's actions inside the city, waiting for our army to move south."

"Someone must have leaked word in advance, telling them our troop strength and equipment, which let them devise this false-surrender scheme."

Having said this, Cao Bianjiao added, "I think it's Yang Yanchang — otherwise, how would he dare enter..."

Cao Bianjiao still refused to believe Ren Quan'er was compromised, but before he could finish, Zhang Yingchang cut him off: "Set aside the matter of those two for now. What matters now is that our three battalions must immediately lift the siege and move west."

Cao Bianjiao said, "General, do you mean the main force of Liu's bandits will head north?"

He Renlong was far more sensitive — he had a guilty conscience. He first nodded in agreement with Zhang Yingchang's suggestion, then hurriedly steered the conversation elsewhere, raising a hand toward the direction of Yaozhou city. "Six thousand in the city, seven thousand in Yang's and Ren's two battalions — that already outnumbers our three battalions."

"If even a few more come up from the south, I fear they'll bottle us up here and wipe us out."

Most critically, their three battalions could no longer form an absolute advantage over Zhang Zhen, who held the city walls.

As He Renlong spoke, he had already grasped the severity of the current situation. "Do we enter Xi'an, or head west?"

Zhang Yingchang was resolute, pointing to the north of Qianzhou on the map. "West. We enter Binzhou."

Binzhou lay in the mountains north of Qianzhou. Both Cao Bianjiao and He Renlong could easily see the advantages of stationing there.

For one, the area had mountains and rivers, unfavorable for deploying a large army — easy to defend. For another, it bordered the Guanzhong Plain — easy to sally out.

Most critically, all three of them knew that Binzhou was still under the court's control.

Earlier, the intelligence of victory in the west had been delivered by a courier taking the mountain roads through Binzhou. It was originally headed for Qingyang, but upon learning they had advanced on Yaozhou, it was redirected there.

This meant that route was still a relatively secure passage.

Finding a secure passage on the Guanzhong Plain now was no easy task. Qianzhou, Yaozhou, Longzhou, Fengxiang Prefecture, Xi'an Prefecture — everywhere was Liu Chengzong's army.

Seeing that neither man objected, Zhang Yingchang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He directly issued orders as the commanding general, instructing the three battalions to inspect weapons and livestock, tally troops, and immediately strike camp and march west.

Of course, everyone knew that the course of war often deviated greatly from the plan.

But this time, before the fighting even started, their allies had slipped away without a word — something no one could have foreseen.

Fortunately, although Zhang Yingchang, Cao Bianjiao, and He Renlong were not under each other's command, their official ranks differed. Without the uncontrollable Yang Yanchang and Ren Quan'er — those little fire-stoking experts — Commander Zhang was able to assert himself.

With favorable timing, terrain, and unity, Zhang Yingchang barely managed to secure command of these three battalions, over ten thousand men and horses, his mind filled entirely with the thought of a blessing in disguise.

His decision to enter Binzhou was primarily to avoid being surrounded and annihilated by the Marshal's army before making contact with friendly forces.

As long as this force of just over ten thousand entered Binzhou city, its numbers would be sufficient to defend the walls. Before the grain and fodder inside were exhausted, there was essentially no possibility of being breached.

At least in Zhang Yingchang's view, he had single-handedly turned around a crisis.

Next, he needed to observe Liu Chengzong's strategic intent and the direction of his troop deployments.

Zhang Yingchang had several contingency plans in mind. If the Marshal's army launched a main assault on Xi'an, they would contact friendly forces like Zuo Liangyu, Ai Wannian, Cao Wenzhao, and Long Zaitian.

They would coordinate with them to launch an all-out attack on the Marshal's army and the peasant army in Fengxiang Prefecture.

If Liu Chengzong headed north, that was also fine. Their friendly forces to the west were massive in strength. He would pin Liu Chengzong down at Binzhou long enough to hold out until Fengxiang was recovered.

If Liu Chengzong headed directly west... Zhang Yingchang thought this possibility was extremely low, but even if he did, there was no need to fear. Their force stationed at Binzhou could still harass the Marshal's army from the rear.

The three battalions quickly struck camp and moved out, still in the formation of He Renlong as vanguard, Zhang Yingchang in the center, and Cao Bianjiao as rearguard, advancing swiftly along the mountain roads toward Binzhou to the west.

On the walls of Yaozhou, Zhang Zhen, Mi Layin, and Ding Guodong were all utterly baffled.

They truly had no idea what had happened. From the moment Yang Yanchang left the city, they had watched as first Ren Quan'er's troops fled from the south, with Yang Yanchang hot on their heels. The two battalions, as if in a race, kicked up dust and whoosh — vanished onto the Guanzhong Plain.

On Sigou Plateau, the three remaining battalions were left in disarray, boiling water one moment, cooking the next. Then suddenly, these three battalions also struck camp and, taking a different route, whoosh — disappeared without a trace.

The three men in the city could not have been more confused.

The first to come to his senses was Zhang Zhen.

He leaned on the battlements and scratched at his headscarf. "If we can't figure it out, then stop trying. Send word to the Grand Marshal: the besieging army has scattered in all directions — three battalions west, two battalions south."

"Also inform Minister Zhang in Qianzhou. Tell him to be careful not to get snatched up by bandits crawling out of the mountains."

Liu Chengzong's main army was, in fact, just as Zhang Yingchang had thought. By then, they had already crossed the Jing River and reached the outskirts of Sanyuan County, very close to Yaozhou.

Had Zhang Yingchang withdrawn just two hours later, he would have found it impossible to leave even if he wanted to.

Liu Chengzong, on the march, met Ren Quan'er and Yang Yanchang, who was close behind. But there was no chance to talk much on the march. He temporarily assigned the two battalions under the central army, then ordered the advance to continue, thinking he would catch up on years of separation once they reached Yaozhou.

Now, receiving Zhang Zhen's message and hearing that the other three battalions had also turned tail and run, he held the reins on horseback and laughed. "They're quite clever after all, knowing when to run."

In reality, the movement of his great army was in full view of the Ming army scouts traveling the mountain roads to the west.

When the intelligence that a large force of troops, accompanied by vultures, was advancing north was reported to Cao Bianjiao and the others, all three commanders felt their hearts quake, a sense of having narrowly escaped death rising from within.

Zhang Yingchang especially, looking at the mountain path under the dusk light, was utterly shaken.

What he did not know, however, was that this was only the beginning.

That very night, the three battalions encamped at the Shimen Patrol Office. Having arrived in haste, they simply bivouacked in the open on the mountain plateau.

When they rose the next morning, Cao Bianjiao's full-strength battalion was down to half its soldiers. The men who woke looked complicated, their faces full of regret.

Five shifts of night patrol soldiers — all gone.

Young General Cao was completely baffled, utterly unable to fathom it.

Zhang Yingchang's and He Renlong's two battalions, on the other hand, were completely unaffected.

Zhang Yingchang looked at the half-strength Pingliang Battalion and listened to the scouts' report, which said that based on the tracks, those deserters had likely fled toward Yaozhou.

He said, "Forget it. The march is what matters. We'll reach Binzhou first, then recruit locally to replenish our numbers."

They struck camp immediately. They had not marched for even half an hour when Cao Bianjiao rode up to him again. "General, this won't do. Let General He take the rearguard."

Zhang Yingchang thought, that shouldn't be the case.

Yang Yanchang was gone. Apart from He Renlong, this army of theirs should have no more bizarre problems.

And now He Renlong was leading the Yansui troops up ahead, marching perfectly fine, without a single mishap.

Why are you the only one with so many issues?

Cao Bianjiao didn't want this either, but serving as rearguard, his troops were on the verge of vanishing.

Just crossing a single ridge, in the blink of an eye, another five company commanders were gone. When they turned back to look, that battalion commander of Liao-dong origin was tied to a tree, hanging there.

The soldiers had all left, saying they were going to join the Grand Marshal.

Now his battalion still had a thousand men, but the officers from the Guanning Army were all in a state of mutual fear.

Rearguard?

Any more rearguard duty and they'd be finished.

Zhang Yingchang had no choice but to have Cao Bianjiao lead his thousand soldiers as the vanguard, call He Renlong back, and make him the rearguard.

He Renlong wore that same deadbeat look of his, defiant toward everything and everyone, utterly unwilling — but when he heard about the sorry state Cao Bianjiao was in, he held his nose and accepted it.

And you know what, He Renlong's rearguard duty this time completely changed Zhang Yingchang's opinion of him. The march went smoothly the whole way, and he even frequently sent men to the central column to help set up camp, light fires, and cook meals.

Aside from the soldiers' habit of petty pilfering, he was extremely reliable!

Until they crossed the Jing River — on the west bank lay Binzhou City.

Zhang Yingchang turned his head. He Renlong was on the east bank of the Jing River, cupping his hands in salute to him.

That bastard hadn't crossed the river — he'd led his troops and headed east!